Private school The Pilgrims School

The Pilgrims school – preparatory boarding school for boys. It was founded in 1931, and is located just steps from the center of the historic city of Winchester.

The school is located just an hour from London by train, with easy access to all major tourist sites. Around the school – the stunningly beautiful, green South Downs National Park. The school is located between Winchester Cathedral and Winchester College, in a safe and secluded area.

The main school building was reconstructed in the 17th century and is located on the site of former Roman and medieval buildings. The concert hall adjacent to the school is visited by tourists to see its magnificent hammer-beam roof, built in the first half of the 14th century.

Director (for 2026)

Tim Butcher, education - University of Warwick; York University, teacher training.

Famous school graduates

• Jules Knight, actor (TV series "The Royals")
• Hugh Mitchell, actor (films "The Da Vinci Code", "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets")
• Stephen Barton, composer
• Johnny Flynn, musician
• Jamie Bing, publisher
• Jack Dee, comedian
• Patrick Gale, writer
• Jon Snow, TV presenter
• Anthony Smith, sculptor

Key factors

• Excellent living conditions in a warm family atmosphere, where your son is taken care of as if he were his own. Mentors are easy to contact and will answer any questions you may have.
• Lessons are held in small classes with subject teachers. The Pilgrims School is a school of outstanding personalized learning and teaching. This is where every boy's performance is maximized.
• Students enter the best high schools in the UK, including Winchester College, Eton College, Charterhouse, Radley, Marlborough, Sherborne. On average, more than a third of boys receive a scholarship or other award in high school, including sports, academic and music scholarships.
• The purpose of the school – ensure that boys are well prepared so that they can thrive and be happy as they move to their chosen senior school.
• Very strong music education. Uniquely, The Pilgrims School is a school with two professional choirs: Winchester Cathedral Choir and Winchester College Choir. Singing, instrumental and orchestral music can be heard from every open window. This is an extraordinary standard.

Equipment

The school's facilities are excellent: large sports fields, heated swimming pool, all-weather playground, cricket field. Pupils can make use of Winchester College's excellent facilities. The music facilities are impressive: music classrooms, including a soundproof studio with recording equipment, and numerous pianos, including four large ones, located throughout the school.

Program

Key subjects: English, French, Geography, History, Science, Computer Science, Critical Thinking, History, Mathematics, Theology and Philosophy, Latin and Greek.

Reading is at the heart of the students' lifestyle. Briggs Library is located in the heart of the school. A professional librarian provides extensive support throughout the year, encouraging boys to expand their reading choices and teaching them how to make best use of the library's resources. The library hosts a program of lectures and literary events throughout the year.

Students will learn how to find information in books or websites and how to evaluate and organize information. These are invaluable skills that will be very useful in high school when boys will have to work on their own. Students use the library during lessons and during recess, and before and after the school day to prepare for class or to simply sit and read for pleasure. Magazines and newspapers, chess sets are available, and there are comfortable sofas in the library.

Accommodation and accommodation

Residence accommodation in one of two school houses, with a friendly and family atmosphere. The houses are light and airy, well furnished and have plenty of space for loungewear, books and teddy bears. The boys transform their rooms into a cozy home away from home, with their own duvet covers, posters and family photos on the walls. Every home has a radio alarm clock that gently wakes up the boys every morning for breakfast. The housemaster and his family live on the school grounds.

Younger students have access toThe school's sporting and recreational facilities in the evenings and at weekends include cricket nets, a playground, a computer room, a games room, a library, an art studio, as well as a cinema room and a shop.

High school boys live in a large house with a spacious garden, table tennis, a pool table, game consoles and a cozy common room with sofas, where the boys watch movies and read books in the evenings.

Sport

Sport plays an important role in school. All boys participate in sporting activities every day. The school believes that sport is necessary not only as fitness, but also as a way to develop life skills. It helps with problem solving, emotional development and self-confidence and strength, and also teaches how to work in a team.

Sports at school: football, rugby, hockey, cricket, athletics, swimming, sailing, rowing,

Additional activities

Theater provides boys with the foundation to develop skills that enable them to succeed. They learn to speak confidently, work as a team, and communicate with conviction and compassion. Theater – the key to developing self-confidence. Public speaking competitions, seminars, readings, improv workshops, large-scale plays and musicals performed in front of an audience. Every boy can take part in such events and unleash his creative potential.

Each production has a backstage and management team made up of boys, and musicals feature an orchestra made up of the school's own musicians. Boys learn basic acting skills, including character movements and vocal technique. Improvisation and teamwork in an ensemble help to get rid of inhibitions, and many of the guys become eloquent and confident actors.

Design and Technologylessons are hands-on and give boys the opportunity to work with a laser cutter, vacuum former and 3D printer, as well as machines and hand tools. Safe work here is carefully monitored. New skills are developed while working on creative projects: working with wood, acrylic and metal. Many projects also involve working with electronics.

To enrich their studies, the boys go on excursions to see the design process with their own eyes. They also learn how to use CAD (computer-aided design), which helps them understand how technology is used in the workplace. Students can work on creating an individual design project in the school's Design and Technology Club.

The school's spacious art studio is a vibrant place to develop creativity and imagination. Each boy takes lessons in drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics and sculpture. The cathedral next to the school, with its beautiful architectural features and abundance of green space, is often used as inspiration for projects. Workshops are held weekly for potential candidates for art scholarships, and this year two boys won awards.

Trips to art galleries and major exhibitions help boys gain a deeper understanding of art history and learn about current events in the art world.

Music classes are popular at school. There are more instrumental lessons every week than there are boys in school. A dedicated group of 28 specialists (guest music teachers) teach the full range of orchestral instruments, in addition to piano, organ, guitar, lute and voice.

Among the school ensembles: orchestras, string ensemble, guitar ensemble, woodwind ensemble, baroque ensemble, several choirs. The school hosts at least 12 concerts a year. The orchestra plays repertoire that you would expect to hear in high school.

The results of music exams are consistently high. The school has an enviable track record of securing senior music scholarships, with a significant number of students going on to study music at university, with many now studying choral studies at Oxford or Cambridge.

Cost, 2026-2027

£12,250 - £13,000 per semester.
There are 3 semesters in the academic year.

Included in price

• Training
• Accommodation and meals

Additional charge

• Registration fee - £200
• Deposit for admission to school - one term’s fee
• Air travel
• Transfers to/from/airport
• Visa
• Educational company services
• Selection of a guardian, which is a mandatory requirement of a British school